Pakadua Vivah – the practice of kidnapping ‘marriageable’ youths and often forcing them to marry totally unknown girls is an ancient custom, still prevalent in Bihar, especially in the interior areas.
To what extent this practice have been followed has largely remained obscure, mainly due to the lack of data.
But according to Bihar police data, more than 3,400 youth were kidnapped for forced marriage last year.
About 3,405 youths have been kidnapped for forced marriage in the state. In most of the cases, Pakadua Vivah was solemnised at gunpoint or threats to their life and their families,” a police official said.